Simulation of the random scission of C–C bonds in the initial stage of the thermal degradation of polyethylene

We performed molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the initial stage of the thermal degradation of polyethylene, which is dominated by the random scission reaction. The simulations were initiated from structures that were taken from previously equilibrated snapshots of the amorphous polymer and of a free-standing thin film. Isolated chains were also used for comparison. Our systems were coupled to a thermal heat bath, and the effect of different coupling constants was studied. Rate of random scission increases as the strength of the temperature coupling increases. Rates of reaction are almost similar in thin films and the bulk, whereas the rates are much faster in isolated chains. Expansion of the free-standing thin film accompanies degradation, producing fragments of various sizes. Chains of higher molecular weights than the initial chains can be produced due to recombination of fragments during the expansion of thin films. The polydispersity index of the resulting fragments is higher in thin films compared to the bulk. The bonds at the low density portion of the thin films have a higher probability of being broken.     

Toward the Total Synthesis of Bryostatin 11: Stereoselective Construction of the C13-Exocyclic Enoate in the C1–C16 Fragment

We have utilized a spiroketal template in an approach to the C1–C16 fragment of bryostatin. The stereoselective construction of an exocyclic enoate at C13 and insertion of a vinyl group on C15 were accomplished by using Peterson–Yamamoto olefination and copper-catalyzed addition of vinyl magnesium bromide, respectively.      

Effect of Temperature on the Yields of Final Products in the γ-Radiolysis of Formaldehyde Solutions in C1–C3 Alkanols

The effect of temperature on the yields of 1,2-alkanediols in the -radiolysis of the methanol(or ethanol)–formaldehyde (0.9 M) systems and on the yields of 1,2-alkanediols, carbonyl compounds, methanol, and ethanol in the -radiolysis of the 1-propanol(or 2-propanol)–formaldehyde (1 M) systems was studied over the range 373–473 K. It was found that the temperature dependence of the yields of 1,2-butanediol and 2-methyl-1,2-propanediol exhibited maximums at 423 and 373 K, respectively.     

Exploring the C–H…O Interactions in Glycoproteins

Glycoproteins are an important class of proteins that play a significant role in many cellular events. In the present study, we analyze the influence of C–H…O interactions in relation to other environmental preferences in glycoproteins. CH…O interactions are now accepted as a genuine hydrogen bond. Main chain–main chain interactions are predominant. Proline residues stabilize strands by C–H…O interactions in glycoproteins. Majority of the C–H…O interacting residues were conserved and had one or more stabilization centers. CH…O interactions might be responsible for the global conformational stability, since long-range CH…O contacts were predominant. The results presented in this study might be useful for structural stability studies in glycoproteins.     

Solubility in the magnesium chlorate-carbamide-water system at 50°C

The solubility of phases in the magnesium chlorate-carbamide-water system was studied by the isothermal solubility method at 50°C. The crystallization branches of carbamide, magnesium chlorate hexahydrate, Mg(ClO₃)₂ · 6CO(NH₂)₂, Mg(ClO₃)₂ · 4CO(NH₂)₂ · 2H₂O, and Mg(ClO₃)₂ · 2CO(NH₂)₂ · 4H₂O were revealed in the phase diagram.     

The rotation and the phase transition in solid C60

The interaction between C60's in solid C60 has been calculated by (exp-6-1) potential, and the cause and the controlled factor of the high rapid rotations of C60 's were discussed. In order to describe the disordered degree of C60 rotation, an equivalent M is introduced. The phase transitions at the ~260 K and at the ~90 K are studied from the viewpoint of C60 rotation. The potential barriers of the ordered rotation below the ~260 K and the disordered rotation above the ~260 K have been given, and the effect of the external pressure on the temperature of phase transition has also been given.     

Application of Brønsted-type LFER in the study of the phospholipase C mechanism

Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C cleaves the phosphodiester bond of phosphatidylinositol to form inositol 1,2-cyclic phosphate and diacylglycerol. This enzyme also accepts a variety of alkyl and aryl inositol phosphates as substrates, making it a suitable model enzyme for studying mechanism of phosphoryl transfer by probing the linear free-energy relationship (LFER). In this work, we conducted a study of Br?nsted-type relationship (log k = beta(lg) pK(a) + C) to compare mechanisms of enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions, confirm the earlier proposed mechanism, and assess further the role of hydrophobicity in the leaving group as a general acid-enabling factor. The observation of the high negative Br?nsted coefficients for both nonenzymatic (beta(lg) = -0.65 to -0.73) and enzymatic cleavage of aryl and nonhydrophobic alkyl inositol phosphates (beta(lg) = -0.58) indicates that these reactions involve only weak general acid catalysis. In contrast, the enzymatic cleavage of hydrophobic alkyl inositol phosphates showed low negative Br?nsted coefficient (beta(lg) = -0.12), indicating a small amount of the negative charge on the leaving group and efficient general acid catalysis. Overall, our results firmly support the previously postulated mechanism where hydrophobic interactions between the enzyme and remote parts of the leaving group induce an unprecedented negative-charge stabilization on the leaving group in the transition state.     

Challenges in measuring the δ13C of the soil surface CO2 efflux

The δ13C of the soil surface efflux of carbon dioxide (δ13CRS) has emerged as a powerful tool enabling investigation of a wide range of soil processes from characterising entire ecosystem respiration to detailed compound-specific isotope studies. δ13CRS can be used to trace assimilated carbon transfer below ground and to partition the overall surface efflux into heterotrophic and autotrophic components. Despite this wide range of applications no consensus currently exists on the most appropriate method of sampling this surface efflux of CO2 in order to measure δ13CRS. Here we consider and compare the methods which have been used, and examine the pitfalls. We also consider a number of analysis options, isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), tuneable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLS) and cavity ring-down laser spectroscopy (CRDS). δ13CRS is typically measured using chamber systems, which fall into three types: closed, open and dynamic. All are imperfect. Closed chambers often rely on Keeling plots to estimate δ13CRS, which may not be appropriate without free turbulent air mixing. Open chambers have the advantage of being able to maintain steady-state conditions but analytical errors may become limiting with low efflux rates. Dynamic chambers like open chambers are complex, and controlling pressure fluctuations caused by air movement is a key concern. Both open and dynamic chambers in conjunction with field portable TDLS and CRDS analysis systems have opened up the possibility of measuring δ13CRS in real time permitting new research opportunities and are on balance the most suited to this type of measurement.     

Interaction in the manganese sulfate-carbamide-sulfuric acid-water system at 25°C

Heterogeneous equilibria in the manganese-carbamide-sulfuric acid-water quaternary system at 25°C are studied using the solubility method. The concentration boundaries are determined for crystallization of the initial solid components, eutectic compositions of the ternary systems, and binary compounds formed in the carbamide-sulfuric acid-water and carbamide-manganese sulfate-water systems, as well as for new compounds simultaneously containing carbamide, manganese sulfate, and sulfuric acid at a 1: 4: 1 and 1: 2: 1 ratios.     

Phase Equilibria in the Ternary System Fe-Gd-Mo at 600 °C

 Phase equilibria in the ternary system Fe-Gd-Mo at 600 °C were determined. The phase composition for different element concentrations were quantitatively determined from the diffraction patterns by means of the multi-phase Rietveld-refinement as well as through evaluation of the microstructure images obtained by the scanning electron microscopy. Both methods are compared with each other with respect to their precision and limitations. The complete isothermal section at 600 °C includes one ternary phase τ (ThMn₁₂-type of structure), four pseudo-binary phases (Fe,Mo)₁₇Gd₂, (Fe,Mo)₂₃Gd₆, (Fe,Mo)₃Gd and (Fe,Mo)₂Gd and binary phases Fe₂Mo and μ-(Fe,Mo). The ternary phase τ forms the tie-lines with the solid solutions α-Fe, (Mo)-, Fe₂Mo and μ-(Fe,Mo) phases as well as with the pseudo-binary Fe-Gd compounds. Three phases (Fe,Mo)₂Gd, (Mo) and Gd coexist in a wide concentrations range. The homogeneity region of the ternary phase τ as well as the solubilities of the third element in the binary phases were determined.     

Strengthening of the C−F Bond in Fumaryl Fluoride with Superacids

The reaction of fumaryl fluoride with the superacidic solutions XF/MF₅ (X=H, D; M=As, Sb) results in the formation of the monoprotonated and diprotonated species, dependent on the stoichiometric ratio of the Lewis acid to fumaryl fluoride. The salts [C₄H₃F₂O₂]⁺[MF₆]⁻ (M=As, Sb) and [C₄H₂X₂F₂O₂]²⁺([MF₆]⁻)₂ (X=H, D; M=As, Sb) are the first examples with a protonated acyl fluoride moiety. They were characterized by low-temperature vibrational spectroscopy. Low-temperature NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray structure analyses were carried out for [C₄H₃F₂O₂]⁺[SbF₆]⁻ as well as for [C₄H₄F₂O₂]²⁺([MF₆]⁻)₂ (M=As, Sb). The experimental results are discussed together with quantum chemical calculations of the cations [C₄H₄F₂O₂ ⋅ 2 HF]²⁺ and [C₄H₃F₂O₂ ⋅ HF]⁺ at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. In addition, electrostatic potential (ESP) maps combined with natural population analysis (NPA) charges were calculated in order to investigate the electron distribution and the charge-related properties of the diprotonated species. The C−F bond lengths in the protonated dication are considerably reduced on account of the +R effect.     

C–H bond activation in the total syntheses of natural products

The transition metal-mediated C–H bond activation has emerged as a powerful and ideal method for the total syntheses of natural products and pharmaceuticals, and has had a significant impact on synthetic planning and strategy in complex natural products.In this review, we describe selected recent examples of the transition metal-mediated C–H bond activation strategies for the rapid syntheses of natural products.     

DFT Study on the Germanium Ion Activated C–H Bond in Methane

Thermal reactions of methane with the main group metal cations Ge~+,GeO~+,GeOH~+ and OGeOH~+ were investigated by state-of-the-art quantum chemical calculations.For GeO~+/CH_4,a H atom in CH_4 abstracted by the O atom in GeO~+ to form GeOH~+ and CH_3˙constitutes the channel mainly.The barrier-free process,combined with a large exothermicity,suggested a fast and efficient reaction in agreement with the experiment.For OGeOH~+ and CH_4,the intermediates and products of the most favorable path were below the reactant asymptote,and the reaction was easy to take place,while for Ge~+ and GeOH~+,the activation of C–H bond in methane was hard to happen under ambient temperature.The results showed,in contrast to the inertness of Ge~+ and Ge OH~+,the GeO~+ and OGeOH~+ can activate the H_3C–H bond.The NBO natural charge and molecular electrostatic potential were used to analyze the four main group metal germanium constructions.The phenomenon suggested that ligands affect the electronic character and tune the chemical features of metal germanium center.     

S-to-αC Radical Migration in the Radical Cations of Gly-Cys and Cys-Gly

The radical cations of Cys-Gly and Gly-Cys were studied using ion-molecule reactions (IMR), infrared multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Homolytic cleavage of the S–NO bond of nitrosylated precursors generated radical cations with the radical site initially located on the sulfur atom. Time-resolved ion-molecule reactions showed that radical site migration via hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) occurred much more quickly in Gly-Cys^•+ than in Cys-Gly^•+. IRMPD and DFT calculations indicated that for Gly-Cys, the radical migrated from the sulfur atom to the α-carbon of glycine, which is lower in energy than the sulfur radical (–53.5 kJ/mol). This migration does not occur for Cys-Gly because the glycine α-carbon is higher in energy than the sulfur radical (10.3 kJ/mol). DFT calculations showed that the highest energy barriers for rearrangement are 68.2 kJ/mol for Gly-Cys and 133.8 kJ/mol for Cys-Gly, which is in agreement with both the IMR and IRMPD data and explains the HAT in Gly-Cys.     

Electric conductivity of kaolin in the temperature range 150–560°C

Thedc conductivity of kaolin (Sedlec and Podboany) used in electrical insulator technology was measured in temperature cycles between 150 and 560°C after preheating at 150°C/30min. The heating and cooling rates were 5°C min^–1. Dehydroxylation was accompanied by a temporary fall in thedc conductivity as a consequence of the reaction between removed OH^– groups. The changes indc conductivity over the temperatures used were explained by the migration of Ca²⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺.     

Formation of C1–C5 Hydrocarbons from CCl4 in the Presence of Carbon-Supported Palladium Catalysts

Along with hydrodechlorination, the formation of C₁ and higher hydrocarbons takes place in a flow system in the presence of catalysts containing 0.5–5.0% Pd supported on a Sibunit carbon carrier at 150–230°C. In the entire range of conditions examined, the reaction products are primarily methane, C₂–C₄ hydrocarbon fractions, and C₅ traces. The catalysts are stable in operation, and a high conversion of CCl₄ was retained for a long time interval. The nonselective formation of linear and branched hydrocarbons is indicative of a radical mechanism of the process.     

Mutability-Landscape-Guided Engineering of l-Threonine Aldolase Revealing the Prelog Rule in Mediating Diastereoselectivity of C−C Bond Formation

l -threonine aldolase (LTA) catalyzes C−C bond synthesis with moderate diastereoselectivity. In this study, with LTA from Cellulosilyticum sp (CpLTA) as an object, a mutability landscape was first constructed by performing saturation mutagenesis at substrate access tunnel amino acids. The combinatorial active-site saturation test/iterative saturation mutation (CAST/ISM) strategy was then used to tune diastereoselectivity. As a result, the diastereoselectivity of mutant H305L/Y8H/V143R was improved from 37.2 %_syn to 99.4 %_syn. Furthermore, the diastereoselectivity of mutant H305Y/Y8I/W307E was inverted to 97.2 %_anti. Based on insight provided by molecular dynamics simulations and coevolution analysis, the Prelog rule was employed to illustrate the diastereoselectivity regulation mechanism of LTA, holding that the asymmetric formation of the C−C bond was caused by electrons attacking the carbonyl carbon atom of the substrate aldehyde from the re or si face. The study would be useful to expand LTA applications and guide engineering of other C−C bond-forming enzymes.     

Reactions in the magnesium propionate-boric acid-water system at 50 and 60°C

The Mg(CH₃CH₂COO)₂-H₃BO₃-H₂O section of the MgO-B₂O₃-C₆H₁₀O₃-H₂O quaternary system was studied at 50 and 60°C using the isothermal solubility method and measurements of the density, pH, and refractive index of saturated solutions. A chemical reaction with the formation of MgB₄O₇ · 7H₂O and MgB₆O₁₀ · 8H₂O was established to proceed in the system. The identity of precipitated solid phases was confirmed by chemical analysis, derivatography, and IR spectroscopy.     

CC bond formation in diiron complexes

The growing effort to design new sustainable synthetic methodologies, based on readily available and environmentally friendly transition metals, has boosted research on iron complexes. This review article focuses on C?C-bond-forming reactions occurring at bridging ligands in diiron complexes, aimed at evidencing distinctive aspects and advantages associated with the presence of two adjacent iron centres. A number of diiron-mediated C?C-bond-forming reactions reported in the literature, including nucleophilic and electrophilic additions and insertion and cycloaddition reactions, have been accumulated over the years, which, together with more recent developments, indicate that diiron complexes might provide promising alternatives to precious metals in the challenging field of metal-promoted C?C bond formation.     

C–C Bond Rupture in the Oxidation of Lower (C2–C6) Alcohols with Hydrogen Peroxide Mediated by Iron-Containing Compounds

C–C bond rupture upon the oxidation of alcohols in the Fe(ClO₄)₃+ H₂O₂system in aqueous acetonitrile at room temperature is found. The relative yield of the products of C–C bond rupture is 20–30% under standard conditions for C₂and C₃alcohols and decreases in the series C₂> C₃> C₄> C₆. The alkyl radical and carboxylic acid are the products of C–C bond rupture in alcohol oxidation. Cyclohexane is a competitive inhibiting agent for C–H bond oxidation in 1-propanol, and it does not affect the yield of the products of C–C bond rupture. When H₂O₂is replaced by tert-BuOOH, the fraction of the products of C–C bond rupture decreases by an order of magnitude. Our data suggest that a non-radical intermediate, likely Fe(III) hydroperoxo complex, is responsible for C–C bond rupture in alcohol under the reaction conditions.